FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150  
151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   >>  
ushing through the elm tree copse, Winding up the stream, light-hearted, Where the osier pathway leads-- Past the boughs she stoops--and stops. Lo, the wild swan had deserted,-- And a rat had gnawed the reeds. Ellie went home sad and slow. If she found the lover ever, With his red-roan steed of steeds, Sooth I know not! but I know She could never show him--never, That swan's nest among the reeds. E. B. BROWNING [Illustration: DEEP SEA FISHERS] MOONLIGHT SONATA It happened at Bonn. One moonlight winter's evening I called upon Beethoven; for I wished him to take a walk, and afterwards sup with me. In passing through a dark, narrow street, he suddenly paused. "Hush!" he said, "what sound is that? It is from my Sonata in F. Hark! how well it is played!" It was a little, mean dwelling, and we paused outside and listened. The player went on; but, in the midst of the finale, there was a sudden break; then the voice of sobbing: "I cannot play any more. It is too beautiful; it is utterly beyond my power to do it justice. Oh! what would I not give to go to the concert at Cologne!" "Ah! my sister," said her companion; "why create regrets when there is no remedy? We can scarcely pay our rent." "You are right, and yet I wish for once in my life to hear some really good music. But it is of no use." Beethoven looked at me. "Let us go in," he said. "Go in!" I exclaimed. "What can we go in for?" "I will play to her," he said, in an excited tone. "Here is feeling--genius--understanding! I will play to her, and she will understand it." And before I could prevent him his hand was upon the door. It opened and we entered. A pale young man was sitting by the table, making shoes, and near him, leaning sorrowfully upon an old-fashioned piano, sat a young girl, with a profusion of light hair falling over her face. "Pardon me," said Beethoven, "but I heard music and was tempted to enter. I am a musician." The girl blushed, and the young man looked grave and somewhat annoyed. "I--I also overheard something of what you said," continued my friend. "You wish to hear--that is, you would like--that is--shall I play for you?" There was something so odd in the whole affair, and something so comical and pleasant in the manner of the speaker, that the spell was broken in a moment. "Thank you!" said the shoemaker; "but our piano is so w
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150  
151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   >>  



Top keywords:
Beethoven
 

looked

 

paused

 
genius
 

understanding

 

boughs

 

understand

 

feeling

 

excited

 

stream


Winding

 
entered
 

scarcely

 
opened
 
prevent
 

pathway

 

sitting

 

exclaimed

 

hearted

 

making


ushing

 

friend

 

continued

 

annoyed

 

overheard

 
affair
 

moment

 

shoemaker

 

broken

 

comical


pleasant

 

manner

 
speaker
 

fashioned

 

sorrowfully

 

leaning

 

remedy

 

profusion

 

musician

 

blushed


tempted
 
falling
 

Pardon

 

wished

 

passing

 
narrow
 

street

 
suddenly
 
called
 

evening